TRAVEL | TOFINO IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS

Going through photos and files on my much loaded down computer, I came across trip photos I have yet to share on this blog. With summer right around the corner, I’m sure many people are busy thinking of what they can do to make their summer memorable. In light of that, I thought I would share how my friends and I did Tofino, British Columbia in less than 24 hours making it a worthwhile short but sweet trip that will have you begging to go back to experience it all again.

Mini waterfall with a rainbow at a lookout enroute to TofinoOrdering a water taxiOrdering from Tacofino!Tacofino Menu

Last summer I went to Victoria, British Columbia to visit a very close friend and we also had my bestie fly out from Toronto to meet us there for a week of BC fun! It was a crazy giggle fest of gossip and girl time which was much needed between the three of us. All grown up and out of university now, we took my friend’s car and made the drive from Victoria to Tofino early the next morning singing along to songs quite out of tune and buzzing with anticipation to reach the end destination. The windy roads made the time pass by quickly and we made multiple stops along the way at look out points because why not? These stops included an amazing stop at Tacofino where I highly recommend the fish tacos and some local surf shops. Once we arrived in Tofino, we immediately took a water taxi to embark on a hike on Meare’s Island. The hike was quite pleasant with large trees and scenic outlooks, until we decided to do a bit of off road hiking and ended up stranded in a bog like coast. Don’t do what we did and end up at “Loser’s Point”, please stay on the trail, but regardless it was a funny story after the fact. We capped off our first few hours in Tofino with an amazing meal at Wolf In The Fog, and didn’t arrive at our airbnb until late in the evening where we proceeded to fall asleep and wait for the next morning of adventure.

Our next advenure consisted of some bikinis and hot water as we didn’t have a desire to really take a dip in the freezing Pacific Coast. We booked an excursion to visit the natural hot spring coves with Ocean Outfitters. For the hot springs, you get dropped off on the island and you best be keeping an eye on the time as the boat will be back to pick up guests and leave at a specific time as agreed upon with your captain. With almost three hours to explore the island, we walk up a board walk trail and took a quick 30 minute trail to reach the hot springs. Best to go early in the morning for the least crowded experience as other tour groups come to this location. Hot sulfur water poured out of the ground and over rocks creating multiple small pools for a perfect environment of relaxation with the crashing waves on the other side of the rocks. The hot spring cove is located right on the tip of the island facing the ocean, making it an extremely unique spot being all natural and without any man-made influences.

After a nice long dip in the hot water, we got on our way back to the docks to catch our boat and returned to the tiny town of Tofino. As you will be on the island of the hot springs for awhile, be sure to pack some snacks as there are no shops or areas to purchase food. We picked up food early in the morning at a local bakery and had some pretty awesome salmon sandwiches with baked goods to hold us over after the hot springs until we made it back into town! Once back in Tofino, we stopped for one last bit of food and spent a bit of time walking around town, but sadly it was time to leave as it was a four hour drive and one of us had work the next day. We were blinded by the setting sun as we drove back to Victoria and reminisced about the quiet and relaxing times with the only regret that we did not stay longer to do more.

24 Hours in one place is a very short amount of time, best to plan one great excursion and smaller activities to not overwhelm oneself. Someday, I’ll be back Tofino and I might even learn how to surf in your rigid waters!

To summarize places not to miss!

Hot springs via Ocean Outfitters: A truly unique experience to dip into naturally formed hot springs right next to the ocean. Wildlife spotting along the way was a plus!

Meare’s Island: A short distance from the main area of Tofino with nice quick day hikes and an awesome coast line view

Tacofino: An awesome food truck with fresh catch tacos with all the fixings in a communal seated area

Wolf In The Fog: Awesome Canadian cuisine created with locally sourced ingredients, a culinary delight in the heart of Tofino

Common Loaf Bake Shop: Open early and filled with freshly baked goods, this place is ideal to pick up for something to go!

More posts to come on this British Columbia girls trip!

Enroute to Meare’s IslandOne of the many harbors in TofinoRiding out in the Pacific OceanHot spring cove harborBoard walk trails make it easy to hikeForests are dense and quiet

Hot spring waterfalls

Scenic outlook on the way to the hotspringsStray dogs roam the island of the hot spring coveBritish Columbia has some of the largest and tallest trees in the world!Outlook from the Hot Springs Hut

This place looks absolutely wonderful and you’ve captured it so beautifully <3 It's so great to pack lots of activities into a short space of time – I love being able to see as much as possible when I'm away!